Atrophy's Safety Hints

Last updated 06/03/2009 19:52

  • Introduction
  • Over-braking
  • Passing slow traffic
  • SMIDSY 1
  • SMIDSY 2
  • Sixth Sense
  • Cellphone
  • Tailgater
  • Unsafe Trailer
  • Crocodiles
  • Road Crosser
  • Fifty-fifty
  • Distraction
  • Other atrophy links
  • Cellphone

    Scenario: A dual carriageway, three lanes going to a roundabout, right-hand lane marked to turn right.

    I was in the centre lane to go straight ahead. Traffic was moderately heavy, a stream to my left that I was slowly overtaking, with a few cars in the right-hand lane to turn right.

    Or so I thought.

    As I was about to exit the roundabout, a Rangerover (or similar) was on my right, and he decided he wanted to go straight. Without looking (or certainly without seeing me) he simply crossed the lane markings into the lane where I was.

    By gunning the throttle I was able to find a gap between two cars on the left lane (also going straight ahead) and get out of the way of this behemoth; he carried on in what was "my" lane.

    He obviously did finally see me, because as he passed, he looked at me, and raised his left hand in what I took to be an apology. It was somewhat spoilt because he was holding a cellphone in his hand.

    [Rant] It is my absolute belief that cellphone conversations, whether hand-held or hands-free, should be banned from anyone driving a vehicle on the public roads. It's not like holding a conversation with a passenger, the concentration is very different. And the present (UK) law that allows hands-free phones but not hand-held is not consistent with statistics, which show hands-free and hand-held increase accident likelihood by the same amount. It's not even anything to do with one hand off the wheel (or if it is, smoking should be banned for drivers, and all vehicles would have to be automatics) [End rant].

    The lesson to be learned is obvious, never assume a vehicle is going to go where the road markings suggest it should.

    Other atrophy links